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00:00:01It's the event everyone has been waiting for.
00:00:06Whoa.
00:00:08The return of the greatest competition in the culinary universe.
00:00:13Whoa.
00:00:15Ladies and gentlemen, this is going to be epic.
00:00:20Let's go!
00:00:22Come on!
00:00:23Tournament of Champions keeps getting bigger and better.
00:00:2732 of the nation's best chefs, including proven warriors
00:00:31and fierce new challengers.
00:00:32But nothing can prepare them for the biggest surprise ever.
00:00:37The top-seeded chefs in every division are food world icons.
00:00:42No way.
00:00:45Four of the most powerful opponents ever to compete on TOC.
00:00:50Are you kidding me?
00:00:52But their identities will remain a secret until the moment they enter the arena.
00:00:57Whoa!
00:00:59Let's go!
00:01:00Let's go!
00:01:01Every battle is head-to-head.
00:01:03Every spin of the randomizer is edge of your seat.
00:01:06Oh, no!
00:01:07Every dish is bake or break.
00:01:10That's a lost opportunity.
00:01:11Ugh.
00:01:12It's over.
00:01:13This is a stunner.
00:01:14A masterclass in sauce.
00:01:15Who will win the title, the belt, and the $150,000?
00:01:21I can't believe it!
00:01:22This is Tournament of Champions 7!
00:01:25Yeah!
00:01:28Yeah!
00:01:31Yeah!
00:01:32Yeah!
00:01:33Yeah!
00:01:34Yeah!
00:01:34Yeah!
00:01:34Yeah!
00:01:35Yeah!
00:01:35All right, ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to experience the most exciting
00:01:40cooking competition of your life?
00:01:42Yeah!
00:01:43Yeah!
00:01:44Good!
00:01:47Because I have an amazing group of battle-tested ballers, incredible new contenders, and gourmet
00:01:54greats.
00:01:55And they can't wait to mix it up in the TOC arena.
00:01:59Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the chefs of TOC 7!
00:02:07T.O.C. fan favorite!
00:02:10The one and only, Jatina!
00:02:13Tournament of Champions has been the most impactful competition of my life.
00:02:17I meet thousands of people, and the number one comment I get is, you gotta win TOC.
00:02:23That's why I'm here, to finally finish this journey.
00:02:26Two winners of 24 and 24!
00:02:28Marcel Lindero!
00:02:29And Jonathan Sawyer!
00:02:31T.O.C. is the best of the best.
00:02:34Nini Nguyen!
00:02:35Adam Sober!
00:02:36You have chefs that have won every cooking competition known to mankind.
00:02:40Mustache Joe Sasko!
00:02:42And Chef Kevin Lee!
00:02:44Coming here to see whose cuisine reigns supreme.
00:02:47Very special moment for me.
00:02:50One of our favorite chefs, and she is back, and she is honestly a champion in life.
00:02:55Ready to rock and roll.
00:02:57Give it up!
00:02:58Chef Shirley Charles!
00:03:02In June, 2024, I was diagnosed with stage four tongue cancer.
00:03:09So the past one and a half years, I took a break to focus on my tongue cancer treatment,
00:03:14and now I'm 11 months in relation.
00:03:17Being able to compete and be able to cook in this stage, it means so much for me.
00:03:23Carlos Anthony!
00:03:24Adam Greenberg!
00:03:25And Ken Akunewicz!
00:03:28Sarah Bradley!
00:03:29Rick Resigno!
00:03:31And Chef Leigh Ann Ward!
00:03:33Here comes our qualifying winners.
00:03:35This is a gnarly group.
00:03:37Qualifiers?
00:03:38That was tough.
00:03:39But the game has just begun.
00:03:42Polina Bliss, David Deanna, and Claudette Zepeda!
00:03:45No rest for the weary.
00:03:46It's actually go time.
00:03:47Brian Macaggio!
00:03:49The Huncho!
00:03:51Chef Tobias Gorza!
00:03:53I feel like my life has been something that only champions can survive.
00:03:58I was shot 11 times.
00:03:59I was told I wasn't going to be able to walk again.
00:04:02Having a chance to battle again is something I'm looking forward to.
00:04:06I'm ready to go.
00:04:07So who would like to see who's competing against you?
00:04:16First of all, I want to welcome you.
00:04:17You are the magnificent Chefs of Tournament of Champions 7.
00:04:23Welcome!
00:04:25This, as you know, this is the Mount Everest of culinary competitions.
00:04:31You reach the top, and you'll be rewarded with the glory you deserve.
00:04:35First and foremost, the most coveted title in food competition.
00:04:39The ultimate bling, of course.
00:04:43And then there's that one other thing.
00:04:46150,000 bucks!
00:04:55But you know what?
00:04:57You're going to have to earn it.
00:04:58You're going to have to earn it.
00:04:59I want you to look around you, because you are going to be competing head-to-head
00:05:02against the best chefs in the world.
00:05:07And finally, you have to conquer this one other little thing.
00:05:11The TOC bracket.
00:05:18In a bracket competition, every battle is sudden death.
00:05:24You win, you move on.
00:05:27You lose, you're gone.
00:05:32Score five victories in a row, and you win it all.
00:05:37All right.
00:05:38As always, first-round matchup is determined by your ranking,
00:05:42or your seed based on your accomplishments,
00:05:44of your culinary wins, losses, and especially what you've done here in TOC.
00:05:49Let's start off with the number one-seeded chefs.
00:05:54This year, to make the tournament even more challenging,
00:05:58Uh-uh.
00:05:59All of the number one seeds are...
00:06:07culinary icons.
00:06:09Oh, way!
00:06:13Chefs whose award-winning restaurants, decades of experience,
00:06:17and pioneering achievements have made a lasting impact on the food world.
00:06:21In fact, they are so iconic that I'm not going to even reveal who they are
00:06:26until the moment they enter the arena to do battle.
00:06:31No!
00:06:32It does now!
00:06:34No way!
00:06:35Oh, my God!
00:06:37That's vicious!
00:06:38I thought I was going to come in and be seed one.
00:06:41Looking around at the best chefs in the world on TOC,
00:06:43what do you have to do to be an icon in this arena?
00:06:47These four icons have done it all, except they've never competed in TOC.
00:06:54If you're able to out-cook any one of them, your victory will be iconic.
00:06:59So, now that we're past that, let's see who's lucky enough to be competing against our first icon in Division
00:07:09A.
00:07:09Our top-seeded A Division icon will compete against this year's first qualifying winner,
00:07:16Chef Artie Sequera!
00:07:19Of course.
00:07:20Yay!
00:07:21It would be me that's going up against the icon. Of course it would.
00:07:26But can I tell you, honestly, I'm really excited.
00:07:29Because why not? Why not take down the biggest, baddest giant first?
00:07:35Then we have the number two seed, the Jetster, Chef Gentila, will be taking on number seven seed,
00:07:40the qualifying winner, Chef Ashley Shanti!
00:07:44Next, the number three seed, the honcho, Chef Tobias Dorzon.
00:07:49Going up against the number six seed, Chef Claudette Cicada!
00:07:53And rounding out the A Division, number four seed, 24 and 24's newest winner, Chef Jonathan Sawyer!
00:08:01Going to face off against the number five seed, Karen Akunowicz!
00:08:05Last season, I went out in the first round to Jonathan Sawyer, and that was a really hard loss.
00:08:11I'm ready to get that L off my boards, and I'm ready to come back with a W.
00:08:15The number one seed, our Division B icon.
00:08:18We'll take on the number eight seed, qualifying winner, Katsuchi Tanami!
00:08:25Number two seed, four-time TOC semi-finalist, the one and only Britt Rossigno!
00:08:33First is the number seven seed, Chef Giuseppe Tentori!
00:08:38Battle Italy!
00:08:39I came in to Tournament of Champions, a number eight seed.
00:08:43I've hit the final four three years in a row.
00:08:46I'm here to win it this year.
00:08:48Then we have the number three seed, Chef Kevin Lee.
00:08:52Going against number six seed, Shop Grand Champion, Chef Adam Greenberg!
00:08:57Oh!
00:08:58Oh, no!
00:08:59Finally, number four seed, Martini Nini, Chef Nini, win!
00:09:05Against number five, Mustache Joe Sosco!
00:09:09There you go!
00:09:10There you go!
00:09:11Let's move on to C.
00:09:12Our C Division icon, they're going up against the number eight seed, the qualifying winner,
00:09:18Chef Viet!
00:09:19Ah!
00:09:20The number two seed, TOC 6 runner-up, Chef Sarah Bradley!
00:09:27Versus the number seven seed, Chef Dan Jacobs!
00:09:33Number three seed, the man who won TOC All-Star Christmas, Chef Brian Voltaggio!
00:09:39My brother and I, we've recently won TOC All-Star Christmas.
00:09:43It was a team competition.
00:09:44I've never really taken a major win on my own.
00:09:48I want that belt.
00:09:48I want that cash.
00:09:49I want the title of Tournament Champion 7 Chef.
00:09:52Going up against the number six seed, the Chef Carlos Anthony.
00:09:57The number four seed, TOC All-Star Christmas semi-finalist, the one and only Chef Dale Talday!
00:10:05Versus the number five seed, Chef Shirley Charles!
00:10:12Finally, the D Division, the number one seed, our final culinary icon, will be going up against the number eight
00:10:20seed, qualifying winner, Chef Kenny Gilbert!
00:10:24Number two seed, Chef Liam Wall!
00:10:27Going up against the GOAT, Iron Chef Stephanie Izard!
00:10:34Number three seed, 24-24's first winner, Chef Marcel Vigneron!
00:10:41Who are you going against?
00:10:43The number six seed, Chef David Viana!
00:10:48And lastly, but definitely not least, Chef Kalina Bliss!
00:10:53Against the number five seed, Chef Adam Sobel!
00:10:58Let's kick things into high gear, and let's give the fans at home and here in the arena what they
00:11:05want.
00:11:06Let's give them the battle between Chef Chet Tila and Chef Ashley Shanti!
00:11:14Chef Chet, do that tour. Chef Ashley, do that tour.
00:11:20And the rest of you, we'll see you soon!
00:11:27It's early in the game, so got some adrenaline pumping. Got a one round under my belt from the qualifiers.
00:11:34Feels good. I'm ready to go.
00:11:35We don't get to watch the plans. I have zero information. But she won to be here, and she cooked
00:11:42recently, so she's fresh and ready to go.
00:11:44He's gone so far in this competition, and not only that, he's got something to prove.
00:11:49In my mind, Chef Chet is a winner, so I've got to show him that I am too.
00:11:54That's my seventh year here, and I don't think in the history of Food Network has someone been so close
00:11:59so many times to something.
00:12:00I'm the new kid in the arena, but I want Jeff to know that I've got accolades to brag about.
00:12:06I'm a James Beard Award winner. I've beat some giants like Chef Michael Voltaggio and Chef Brooke Williamson.
00:12:13He is the one to beat, and to do that I think would earn me a reputation amongst these other
00:12:19chefs.
00:12:20Not to straddle the line between enough mental confidence to win, but not so much to get overconfident.
00:12:27Now it's time for Chef Jett to get cooked.
00:12:31All right, let's go.
00:12:36Are you ready for the first battle?
00:12:41Good, because here's something I've been waiting all year to say.
00:12:45Let's light it up!
00:12:49Chef is a 2025 James Beard Award winning author.
00:12:53for her cookbook showcasing southern black cooking.
00:12:59In 2024, the New York Times named her Appalachian inspired Good Hot Fish, one of America's best restaurants.
00:13:08She made Time Magazine's 2025 Time 100 next list, and defeated Next Level Chef winner Gabby Chappelle in the qualifiers
00:13:19to earn her spot in the tournament.
00:13:21Put your hands together for the Appalachian assassin.
00:13:26Chef Ashley Shanti!
00:13:38You're finally here, and you're going up against one of the most highly regarded TOC competitors.
00:13:44It's nerve-wracking, but this is what I'm here for. I'm ready to go.
00:13:47Let's meet your opponent.
00:13:50He went from a tireless worker in his family's pioneering Thai market and restaurant
00:13:54to a celebrated chef named Culinary Ambassador of Thai Cuisine by the Royal Thai Council General.
00:14:03He's opened over 20 restaurant concepts nationwide, and his series Ready, Jet, Cook has been nominated for three Emmys and
00:14:13a James Beard Award.
00:14:16Give it up for the Jetster, Chef Jet Tila!
00:14:31You are a humble, generous, giving. You're a man of the people.
00:14:36But you are also the most winningest TOC chef that does not have a belt.
00:14:42Why do you keep coming back?
00:14:44Oh, God.
00:14:49You know what, guy?
00:14:51That's why I keep coming back.
00:14:52I get stopped on the streets.
00:14:54I get thousands of emails.
00:14:55It's for Team Tila, and it's to show my kids you can get beat down, but you can always come
00:15:00back and try your best.
00:15:02And that's all that matters.
00:15:05Because of you guys.
00:15:07Time to take it to the randomizer.
00:15:09Let's go, Chef.
00:15:10Let's go to work.
00:15:10Let's go to work.
00:15:12How are you feeling, Chef?
00:15:13I think it's great.
00:15:15For everybody at home, the randomizer is going to determine the mandatory details of your dish.
00:15:20The protein, the produce, the equipment, the style.
00:15:23And finally, the wild card category, which this year in the first round, it's the wild card re-spin.
00:15:30Ooh.
00:15:31Which you would both have to agree on what would happen.
00:15:33Let's get this going, folks.
00:15:34Here we go.
00:15:34Protein.
00:15:36Here we go.
00:15:37Here we go.
00:15:37Let's go.
00:15:39Skirt, pork, chicken, skirt, pork, pork loin.
00:15:46Bell peppers, ricer, chard, and move one up.
00:15:50Now you have to move one up.
00:15:53Wow.
00:15:54So you'd either move up to skirt steak, to broccoli rabe, to handheld grill basket, move up to pickled.
00:16:00You cannot move up to move one down.
00:16:03Darn.
00:16:04I would be fine with any of the first three.
00:16:08What would you want, Chef?
00:16:09I'm not loving the equipment.
00:16:11I would take grill basket over ricer, personally.
00:16:14Great.
00:16:14Are you down with that?
00:16:15Yes, absolutely.
00:16:16The final offer?
00:16:17Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:16:18Ladies and gentlemen, handheld grill basket.
00:16:21Wow.
00:16:23You have 30 minutes to shop.
00:16:25Prepare this and plate this.
00:16:27This is the kickoff of TOC 7.
00:16:29And your time starts now.
00:16:31Go.
00:16:40Welcome to TOC 7.
00:16:42Who's pumped?
00:16:44I think it's a good randomizer.
00:16:46Pork loin.
00:16:47In fact, this is one of the most versatile parts of pork.
00:16:49Bell peppers.
00:16:50We're giving them green, orange, red, which are all the same bell pepper, by the way.
00:16:54And handheld grill baskets are awesome because you can do all the grilling that you want.
00:16:59Easy to turn, easy to clip, and it doesn't fall through the grates of the grill.
00:17:02Charred.
00:17:02They're really gonna have to play into this.
00:17:04The judges have been hitting this style so hard.
00:17:07They'll just have to dominate the randomizer.
00:17:09Do not overthink it.
00:17:11Just make delicious food.
00:17:13TOC is at any given Sunday.
00:17:15Any chef can win if they just cook the best dish.
00:17:17My pressure comes from the ghosts of six seasons of losing.
00:17:23On top of that, battling a qualifier is always scary.
00:17:26They're here because they have a phenomenal repertoire.
00:17:29Losing TOC round one could be a measure of maybe it's time to quit.
00:17:34The randomizer has actually given us things that are fairly simple,
00:17:38but we're not in the qualifiers anymore.
00:17:41These judges want to see a dish that is elevated that wows them.
00:17:46You know, I don't have much of a reputation in the TOC kitchen.
00:17:49I'm the noob.
00:17:50That's cool because this will allow me to shake things up in the main bracket.
00:17:56I'm joined once again by my two incredible culinary commentators,
00:18:00noted food authority and Michelin recommended wildcard,
00:18:03Chef Justin Warner.
00:18:06An award-winning restaurateur and TOC 3 champ, Chef Tiffany Faison.
00:18:12Now, Justin and Tiffany will closely follow the preparation of the dishes
00:18:16so they can accurately present them to the judges during the blind tasting.
00:18:19We're also joined by the culinary scholar, Simon Majundar,
00:18:23who will be talking to the judges about their thoughts on all the dishes.
00:18:27Chef, when you have a plan, let me know.
00:18:29We are going to do a pork and bell pepper waterfall salad.
00:18:33Got it.
00:18:34Char, pork, bell peppers.
00:18:37There's only one direction I'm going in.
00:18:38Waterfall, or what we call numpto salad in Northern Thailand.
00:18:43It's a very common protein dish where you char the protein,
00:18:46and you make a really delicious dressing with roasted rice,
00:18:50which I'm going to char.
00:18:52The hunger to win TOC only increases every year.
00:18:56This is my seventh go.
00:18:57I've been here for almost a decade chasing this belt.
00:19:00Every round is its own universe.
00:19:02Every battle is its own thing.
00:19:04Winning the first round is huge.
00:19:08When you have a plan, I have a pen, take your time.
00:19:10My goal is to char most everything.
00:19:13I am going to make a blackened pork loin with charred bell pepper sauce.
00:19:20That grill basket allows them to kind of set it and forget it on the grill and get nice char.
00:19:23My style of cuisine, I explore the micro regions of the south.
00:19:26For my pork loin, I'm going to do traditional blackened pork.
00:19:31We want to add the fat to not the pan, but the actual protein.
00:19:35I've got one shot.
00:19:36I know it's either Jet going home or myself.
00:19:42I've got to make sure that my flavors are there and that I just wow the judges today.
00:19:48Halfway point.
00:19:4915 minutes, 15 to go.
00:19:55What's this?
00:19:56I'm making the dressing now.
00:19:58So it's going to be on the brighter side.
00:19:59It's going to be all the yum flavors, but I'm going to char everything.
00:20:02I'm going to char the bell peppers in here as well, so.
00:20:04At this level of cooking in TOC, I'm not just putting bell peppers and pork on a plate.
00:20:08I'm taking the bell peppers and I'm weaving it through the dressing.
00:20:11Smart moves by Chef Teeley here.
00:20:13He's rubbing off some of the char just to get the exact amount of char that he wants.
00:20:19Now our judges are currently waiting in their trailers, so they have no idea what the chefs are cooking or
00:20:24who is even in the competition.
00:20:26They'll be scoring the dishes based on taste, use of the items on the randomizer, and presentation.
00:20:30The chef with the highest score, well, we'll head on to the next round.
00:20:33And the other chef, they'll be heading home.
00:20:36This is an incredibly simple dish.
00:20:38I need to make sure this sauce knocks the judges' socks off.
00:20:42Add a little lime juice, charred red, orange, green bell peppers.
00:20:49Winning TOC would be so fulfilling.
00:20:52I've never won a competition before.
00:20:54I live in a small, small town.
00:20:56Asheville has experienced such trauma and devastation in the past year.
00:21:00And I've had this incredible, supportive community that I want to give back to.
00:21:05I want to bring home the bell.
00:21:07That's bell pepper.
00:21:09The first round has five minutes, five minutes left!
00:21:15Right now in the Wayfair screening room, Chef Tobias and Chef Claudette are anxiously spectating this battle.
00:21:21The winner of their battle will face the winner of this battle in the bracket.
00:21:26I check the porks.
00:21:27They're great.
00:21:27I let them rest.
00:21:28I take jasmine rice.
00:21:29I put some chilies in there.
00:21:31I want to char about 60 to 70% of that rice.
00:21:36When you say charred rice, Tila, you mean charred rice.
00:21:39It brings texture to this dish, and it's a very creative use.
00:21:43With three components on the plate, I have the pork, bell pepper sauce.
00:21:49In addition to that, I'm going to make a simple charred bell pepper medley.
00:21:53I am just feeding off of the crowd, watching the clock, and making sure that this dish is what I
00:22:00want it to be.
00:22:01I'm in the zone.
00:22:02I'm completely focused.
00:22:03Two minutes!
00:22:04Let's go.
00:22:05Let's go.
00:22:05Let's take it home.
00:22:06First, I plate the bell peppers and herbs as a base.
00:22:10I cut up the pork, apply that onto the vegetables.
00:22:13It is a privilege to compete on TOC.
00:22:16There's literally one more level that I've never experienced in this kitchen.
00:22:21That's why I belong here.
00:22:2390 seconds, Chef.
00:22:2490 to go.
00:22:25Come on, guys.
00:22:26Fight me up!
00:22:27I take my sauce, I put it in the bottom, and then I get the best slices of pork and
00:22:34shingle them onto the plate as well.
00:22:36And add that bell pepper medley.
00:22:38I may be seen as the underdog of this competition, but I made a plate that I'm really proud of.
00:22:44Five!
00:22:45Four!
00:22:46Three!
00:22:47Two!
00:22:48Five!
00:22:48We're done!
00:22:50First round of TOC 7 is done!
00:22:53That was great, Chef.
00:22:56Well done.
00:22:59The judges are going to have a tough one on this.
00:23:03Whoo!
00:23:03It's nice to get one under my belt in a way where I'm proud of the dish.
00:23:11Our TOC judges have been patiently waiting in their trailers for the first blind tasting in the evening.
00:23:17Now, they don't know what went down in this arena, but boy, do they know food.
00:23:22Let's meet them.
00:23:22Who do we have?
00:23:24First, renowned executive chef and a world-class culinary competitor, Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschali!
00:23:34Woo!
00:23:36Alex, legend.
00:23:37Come on!
00:23:38I don't know what Alex likes.
00:23:41I have no idea.
00:23:42Thank you for being here.
00:23:43Next, celebrated chef, Michelin-recommended restaurateur, and winner of Tournament of Championship, Chef Antonio La Faso!
00:23:58No way!
00:23:59Is that what we're doing this season?
00:24:02I'm gonna say she knows her stuff.
00:24:04Must be nice and Tony Dean on that side of it.
00:24:06And last, and definitely not least, James Beard award-winning restaurateur and the only female chef in the U.S.
00:24:12to receive three Michelin stars.
00:24:16Dominique Krenn?
00:24:17Chef Dominique Krenn!
00:24:20Wow!
00:24:23I know her standards are very high.
00:24:27This is the Tournament Champs level, like, judge panel.
00:24:29The randomizer tonight, I think, was pretty generous.
00:24:32The protein was pork loin.
00:24:34The produce was bell peppers.
00:24:36The equipment was a handheld grill basket.
00:24:39The style was charred.
00:24:40And here to present Chef Tiffany Faison.
00:24:42I present to you Cajun charred pork loin with a sauce of charred bell peppers and charred ginger, condiment of
00:24:48charred bell peppers, red onion, and charred holly.
00:24:51All of these components met the blender and a little bit of olive oil, lime juice, and Cajun seasoning.
00:24:57The pork loin was fabricated, put into a bag with a little bit of butter and Cajun seasoning in the
00:25:02traditional style of blackening.
00:25:05Don't be too hard on me now.
00:25:06Pork loin, bell peppers, simple, straightforward ingredients that actually can take on so much flavor.
00:25:13The sauce does it for me tenfolds over.
00:25:16Thank you, Chef.
00:25:17I love, love, love that this chef went in a bell pepper sauce direction.
00:25:22That's good.
00:25:24Sauce, fantastic.
00:25:25And lime, what a restrained choice, right?
00:25:29You could have gone vinegar, fish sauce, go to, I mean, what could you not have put?
00:25:33And this chef was like, squeeze the lime, see you later.
00:25:35And it is paying off in spades.
00:25:38I agree.
00:25:39I love the char, therefore I understand the use of the grill basket.
00:25:44Then I tasted the pork.
00:25:45I love the spice rub on this.
00:25:48It is literally divine.
00:25:49I think Ashley hit the randomizer.
00:25:51Great.
00:25:51That said, this is not TOC level presentation.
00:25:55What?
00:25:56This is not enough.
00:25:57It's too simple.
00:25:58I'm the new kid, sorry.
00:25:59I mean, I'm agreeing with them.
00:26:01It should be more elevated.
00:26:03Yes.
00:26:04So they're gonna ding me big on plating.
00:26:06Also, it is missing some floral or some herb ambitious kind of taste to it.
00:26:12But, you know, overall, I think if I go to a restaurant, a bistro, I would love to have that
00:26:16dish.
00:26:16All right, your score cards are in front of you, 50 points available in the taste, 40 points in the
00:26:22use of the randomizer, and 10 for presentation.
00:26:25Like, I nailed it with that randomizer, and there was not a whole lot of mention on that.
00:26:32All right, judges, here we are to present the second chef's dish.
00:26:35Wild card, Justin Warner!
00:26:40I am just bracing myself.
00:26:42Judges, this is a waterfall salad of pork loin and bell pepper.
00:26:48The pork loin was marinated in a mixture of shallot, fish sauce, sugar, chili, and a little dashi.
00:26:54Then, it was done in the grill basket.
00:26:56The bell pepper was done in the grill basket.
00:26:58It then found its way into the salad.
00:27:01From there, in the dressing, you'll find charred chilies, charred garlic, and charred shallot.
00:27:06First of all, this dish is incredible.
00:27:10Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:27:12Different technique, different texture.
00:27:14This is a balance of everything they've been asked.
00:27:18I'll tell you what it is for me.
00:27:20It's the juiciness of the lettuce and the herbs and the onions that add further juiciness to the peppers that
00:27:27they lose when they're charred.
00:27:29That is the complexity of having a series of ingredients that are threaded together into a composed plate.
00:27:36Okay.
00:27:38Oh, yes!
00:27:40I almost feel like the pork becomes, like, the backseat driver in the dish, which is really interesting.
00:27:45I'm, like, enjoying the vegetation more in there than I am the pork.
00:27:49I actually, the ratio for me is off a little bit.
00:27:52There is actually less pork.
00:27:54There just seems to be more vegetable than there is pork.
00:27:56I love the herbs through it, but really, it's the char on that rice that I think tied this whole
00:28:01dish together that I think is brilliant.
00:28:03Oh!
00:28:04He knows how to cook.
00:28:06Great, judges.
00:28:07Thank you so much.
00:28:07It would mean so much to win.
00:28:11Affirmation, validation.
00:28:12I don't have a reputation, so, obviously, I want a good one.
00:28:15Ashley is a great cook, but I need to know that this first round is, like, one and done.
00:28:19I need to move on.
00:28:20Ladies and gentlemen, we've tallied the judges' score.
00:28:24I have the results, and let's bring our chefs back in.
00:28:28Chef Ashley!
00:28:29Chef Jeff!
00:28:32All right.
00:28:33Let's see how they do.
00:28:34Let's get into this.
00:28:35Good scores.
00:28:36One chef scored a 40 out of 50 in taste.
00:28:39Wow.
00:28:3933 out of 40 in the randomizer, a 7 out of 10 in presentation for 80.
00:28:4680 points.
00:28:47The other chef scored a 46 out of 50 in taste, a 34 out of 40 in the randomizer, and
00:28:54an 8 out of 10 in presentation for an 88.
00:28:57Wow.
00:28:59The winner of our premiere TOC battle between Chef Jet Tila and Chef Ashley Shanti is...
00:29:14Chef Jet Tila!
00:29:16What the hell is all right here?
00:29:21Chef Ashley, going up against one of the most feared and regarded chefs is not an easy task,
00:29:27but I think you held your own, and an 80 is a great score.
00:29:30Yeah.
00:29:30This is awesome.
00:29:31Chef Ashley Shanti!
00:29:33Great job!
00:29:36Well, my time here is done.
00:29:38I am so proud of what I put out.
00:29:41I'm gonna take the judges' commentary and do better next time.
00:29:45That is the Jet Tila that can win TOC 7.
00:29:51Let's see where we're going, buddy.
00:29:53Coming up next will be a shot between Tobias Dorzon or Claudette Cipeda.
00:29:58Ha!
00:29:58Damn.
00:29:59The Jester.
00:30:00Winner in the first round of TOC 7, Chef Jet Tila!
00:30:09You did say that you thought it was a little bit simple.
00:30:13I felt like it was incomplete.
00:30:15We saw both protein and the produce and an incredible sauce, but I felt like there needed to be something
00:30:19that brought everything together.
00:30:20I just think this chef maybe needs more experience.
00:30:24Are you ready to meet our next two contenders?
00:30:29We have Chef Claudette Cipeda, who has won her share of competitions and accolades, but she has dropped to a
00:30:35number six seed after losing in the first round of TOC 6.
00:30:40I had a better seat last year, so I have to earn my spot.
00:30:43I need to be able to get through today to prove that I deserve to be here.
00:30:48Now, her opponent, the number three seed, Chef Tobias Dorzon, whose five TOC victories pale in comparison to the incredible
00:30:58comeback he's made after a life-threatening incident.
00:31:01I was shot 11 times. I was told I wasn't going to be able to walk again.
00:31:06Just, you know, being able to rehab my way back into walking and moving was something that I wanted to
00:31:11make sure I could do.
00:31:12I'm back. I went home first round, TOC 6, after being the number one seed. I got something to prove.
00:31:18Let's go.
00:31:21Are you ready to meet the contenders?
00:31:25Let's light it up!
00:31:28Her bold approach to regional max cuisine has twice earned her a spot on Esquire's best new restaurant list.
00:31:37She was named Chef of the Year by Eater San Diego and was a James Beard semi-finalist for Best
00:31:44Chef West.
00:31:46Put your hands together for the chef, restaurateur, and culinary anthropologist, Chef Claudette Zepeda!
00:32:00Let's go!
00:32:09Culinary anthropologist.
00:32:10Big nerd.
00:32:11I love it!
00:32:12Her opponent.
00:32:14He grew up in Maryland working in his dad's West African eatery.
00:32:19And became acclaimed restaurateur named 2024 Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association in Maryland.
00:32:28A former pro athlete.
00:32:31And his very first season on TOC, he went all the way to the Final Four.
00:32:37Give it up for the unstoppable honcho chef, Tobias Dorso!
00:32:49Let's go!
00:32:55Still having a lot of difficulty walking, going to physical therapy, but when we asked you if you wanted to
00:33:01compete, there wasn't even a hesitation.
00:33:04But it just brings us to the moment of the evening, which is?
00:33:07The randomizer.
00:33:08Chefs, let's take it to the randomizer right this way!
00:33:16Everybody ready?
00:33:17Let it rip.
00:33:18Let's get it!
00:33:19Let's get after it.
00:33:20Go for the proteins!
00:33:21Yeah!
00:33:32Skirt steak.
00:33:34The produce will be broccoli rabe, the toaster oven, pickled, and chef's re-spin.
00:33:46Chefs, which one of the wheels would you like to re-spin?
00:33:49Let's do style.
00:33:50I'll do style.
00:33:51Style.
00:33:51Style.
00:33:53Style!
00:33:54Let's spin it up.
00:33:55Here we go!
00:34:04The randomizer given.
00:34:06Skirt steak, broccoli rabe, toaster oven, pickled.
00:34:10Chefs, you have 30 minutes.
00:34:12Good luck.
00:34:17Skirt steak.
00:34:18I love Skirt steak.
00:34:19Huge fan.
00:34:20Super flavorful.
00:34:21Broccoli rabe, a little more bitter than regular broccoli.
00:34:24Toaster ovens today are like next level.
00:34:27And pickled, you're gonna see some really creative food coming out of tonight's competition.
00:34:33I am very happy with my randomizer, but the person I'm going up against is someone that I not only
00:34:39care about, but respect tremendously.
00:34:41And to see him today without a cane, walking, he's a hero. Like, that's insane.
00:34:47I mean, I'm definitely the underdog between Tobias and myself. This is his house. He's competed, he knows his kitchen.
00:34:55It's gonna get messy, but I'm so ready.
00:34:57So, overall, the randomizer's good. I cook Skirt steak, so I know how to handle it. I know chefs all
00:35:02that, you know, we're good friends. And so, you know, I already know what to expect. Big flavors. I'm a
00:35:07totally different person from TLC6. I thought I wasn't even gonna be able to cook again. So now I take
00:35:12these opportunities as, you know, it may never happen again. I go into them with a different mindset.
00:35:22Last year, Chef Zepeda had a little bit of a rocky start in her premiere battle in the TOC kitchens,
00:35:28but she's coming in with a new attitude. And I'm excited to see how this pans out.
00:35:33Come on, guys. It's gonna be a little energy.
00:35:37I am making grilled pickled outside skirt steak, roasted broccoli raw pickle concoction, and a pipián en escabeche.
00:35:47First thing I wanna do is brine my skirt steak. I've got a jar of cornichons. It has white-distilled
00:35:52vinegar, onions, and mustard seeds, coriander. Brush that over to the vacuum seal machine.
00:35:58While that is vacuuming, I start with my sauce. Let's try to get this going. It's a riff off of
00:36:04pipián. A pipián sauce is a fresh chile pumpkin seed-based sauce.
00:36:10Today, I'm making a pipián with a dried chile, and I think the broccoli raw will get the flavor.
00:36:16I'm putting a couple chunks of bretano maduro. It's not only gonna give me a little bit of sugar to
00:36:21counterbalance the spicy morita, but it's also gonna give me texture when I blend it.
00:36:25I am a product of my grandmother and the matriarchs of Mexico, the keepers of the secret recipes of Mexico
00:36:32throughout the seven regions, which also kind of makes me one of the dangerous ones.
00:36:37Come on, Carmen!
00:36:41Not your first skirt steak, chef.
00:36:43You know it.
00:36:45My next plan is to make pickled nice tender skirt steak and broccoli raw, pickled onions, and some Asian pears.
00:36:52I'ma go Asian brine on the skirt steak. I've studied Asian for a long time. My restaurant is Asian and
00:36:58West African fusion.
00:36:59Big, bold flavors. The salt and the vinegar and the tamarind will give a steak a slight pickle.
00:37:05I'ma win this year because of the confidence that I have in myself.
00:37:09I mean, the pain that I push through every day, I wouldn't wish on no one.
00:37:12But even though circumstances happen, you gotta be the best that you can be and make comebacks that no one
00:37:18can expect you to make.
00:37:19I want the title so bad, I gotta get back there.
00:37:27Tobias, Claudette, you are at the halfway point. 15 minutes to go. 15!
00:37:36The judges are really looking for multiple uses of the protein, multiple uses of the produce, and they definitely want
00:37:43to see the style as much as they can.
00:37:47In putting these randomizer things together, I want to do at least two of them in more than one style.
00:37:55The broccoli raw has different complexities in its bitterness, in its flavor. I know it's one bitter-ass green.
00:38:02The leaves are the most tender and less bitter.
00:38:06So I'm ripping the leaves off, and I'm gonna put them in the toaster oven with just a little bit
00:38:10of olive oil and salt.
00:38:11A little bit of this, and a little bit of that.
00:38:16What's the plan for the second pan?
00:38:18The brine for the stems.
00:38:21So I'm gonna bring it all together to make a small little salad of all my broccoli raw in different
00:38:26iterations.
00:38:27Broccoli raw is in the turnip family, so it's a cruciferous vegetable, just like broccoli, but it is not broccoli.
00:38:33And can stand up to some pretty heavy cooking.
00:38:39Just at ten minutes, chef.
00:38:40Yep.
00:38:41Any other applications for the toaster oven?
00:38:44I'm going to roast these broccoli raw.
00:38:47Marinated that usual steak has a good twang and sweetness to it, so I wanted to actually add some of
00:38:52that to the broccoli raw.
00:38:53Yep.
00:38:54Throw that back into the toaster oven, so it can get a little bit more color, and it can get
00:38:59a little bit of char.
00:39:03Eight minutes, chefs.
00:39:04We have eight minutes to go.
00:39:09For those of you who don't know me, I am born and raised between Tijuana and San Diego.
00:39:14So what I have ingrained in me is not only a love for food, but it is understanding what meat
00:39:21needs what.
00:39:22And a skirt steak needs a grill.
00:39:25I want a perfectly mid-rare skirt steak.
00:39:29To win Tournament of Champions is like sick bragging rights.
00:39:33As a WWE kid and a Lucha Libre kid, I want that belt.
00:39:38Like, I'm just, I just want the hardware.
00:39:43What's the plan for the pear, chef?
00:39:44I'm pickling them.
00:39:45Pickling, okay.
00:39:46Pickled onion and broccoli raw salad on top.
00:39:49It's Asian pear.
00:39:50I wanted to pickle it and give a little bit of fruitiness to the little salad I was going to
00:39:55throw on top.
00:39:56All-Star Christmas was my first test, you know, actually my first competition since my injury.
00:40:01It helped give me confidence.
00:40:02Cooking skills is definitely back even better than they were before, so it is that time.
00:40:07Chefs, this is your final five minutes. Five minutes to be plated.
00:40:14So I'm getting my plate all set up.
00:40:16The sauce, I want it to be more refined and I don't want the portion of meat to be larger
00:40:23than the broccoli raw.
00:40:24I want them to be equally balanced on the dish.
00:40:27This is a one and done cook. That last plate is all that matters.
00:40:31I hope it's enough to get me the win.
00:40:34Three minutes.
00:40:37So now that, you know, I have my broccoli raw, now I want to plate that first, so that's the
00:40:42bottom component.
00:40:43Then I want to slice my steaks on the bias, lay those over top.
00:40:47A couple good medium rare pieces on top of that.
00:40:50And then I want to finish it off with the pickle salad that I have with the broccoli raw, the
00:40:55pickled red onions, and the pickled pears.
00:40:57Since my injury came so far, I'm just blessed to be here, so it's important, you know, just to build
00:41:03my legacy and get this win.
00:41:05Five, four, three, two, one!
00:41:09That's it!
00:41:12Two amazing chefs, one amazing battle.
00:41:15Good luck with the judging.
00:41:17We'll see you in a bit.
00:41:18Let's go!
00:41:19Chef Bonnet!
00:41:19Chef Bonnet!
00:41:20Let's bring those judges in.
00:41:24Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome back our judges, Iron Chef Alex Borticelli, reigning T.O.C. champ Antonio Lofaso, and
00:41:31three-star Michelin chef, Chef Charateur, Dominique Trent.
00:41:36Oh, God.
00:41:37Man, they got some heavy hitters out here tonight.
00:41:39Judges, the randomizer served up for protein the skirt steak.
00:41:44Produce was broccoli raw.
00:41:46Equipment was a toaster oven in the style of pickle.
00:41:50And the chefs had to re-spin.
00:41:51They didn't want pickle, so they got pickled again.
00:41:55Here to present the first dish is the wild card himself, Justin Warner.
00:42:01Judges, this is bistec en escabeche con pipian de broccoli raw.
00:42:06Ooh, nice.
00:42:06So that skirt steak received a little bit of a pickling treatment itself with white vinegar and mustard seed.
00:42:12From there it was grilled.
00:42:13In terms of the broccoli raw, you have it in that pipian.
00:42:16The broccoli raw leaves that you will find in the salad were done in the toaster oven.
00:42:21And then you'll also notice pickled broccoli raw components in that salad as well.
00:42:25As always, judges, if you have any questions, I have the answers.
00:42:29The drama.
00:42:30This is incredible.
00:42:32I think it's very balanced.
00:42:34There is a little bit of sweetness to it.
00:42:35There is a lot of acidity.
00:42:37There is a little bit of fat.
00:42:39There is spiciness.
00:42:40This is a really, really complex dish.
00:42:43I'm going to cry.
00:42:45I'm trying to hold it in.
00:42:46There's like a finesse here.
00:42:48There's an elegance.
00:42:49There's a...
00:42:50There's a je ne sais quoi.
00:42:54I think this sauce, I feel like having it all in one big dollop and me having to dose it
00:43:00to myself with the rest of the components, I ate too much of it.
00:43:05That's the opposite of what I meant.
00:43:07Like when you have a puddle, then it touches everything.
00:43:09This dish is spectacular.
00:43:11You know, there's a couple of slices of skirt steak, medium rare, and it is so tender, it melts in
00:43:18your mouth.
00:43:18But the star of the plate is the broccoli rabe.
00:43:21There's that crunch and dryness to them that are so wonderful.
00:43:24There's the char that goes throughout, the pickling.
00:43:27Talking sweet about me, so the reaction is I'm going to cry.
00:43:30There's so much finesse here.
00:43:32But I would say there's plenty of pickle here.
00:43:35I would argue there's almost too much vinegar here.
00:43:38There's almost too much pickle.
00:43:40Mmm.
00:43:43Fantastic judges, scorecards in front of you.
00:43:4550 points in taste, 40 points in the use of the randomizer, and 10 points for the presentation.
00:43:50This one right here, you know, it's going to be a close one.
00:43:53I left it all there, and we'll see what they say about Tobias, and may the best chef win.
00:43:59Judges here to explain the second dish is Chef Tiffany Faison, champ.
00:44:07Chefs, in front of you, you have tamarind-roasted skirt steak with roasted and pickled brine-dressed broccoli rabe,
00:44:13a slaw of pickled broccoli rabe, Asian pear, and red onion.
00:44:17Let's stop skirting around this, and let's talk steak.
00:44:19This chef created a brine, and then continued to cook the skirt steak on the grill.
00:44:24The brine was then used to dress a little bit of the broccoli rabe that was roasted all the way
00:44:28in the toaster oven.
00:44:29Finally, you have a slaw of broccoli rabe florets that were picked and pickled with Asian pear, red onion on
00:44:34top.
00:44:36Yes, ma'am.
00:44:38I am obsessed with the tamarind marinade on the outside.
00:44:42I think that is what balances this dish so perfectly.
00:44:47I'm in some, like, acidic, sweet, nostalgic state where this skirt steak and this chef put the pickled and the
00:44:55skirt steak off that randomizer and transformed this into something else, which I think is TOC all day long.
00:45:04I heard you, Alex.
00:45:06I picked up some broccoli, and I got this bitterness in my mouth that was, like, just so overpowering.
00:45:12Very interesting dish.
00:45:14I feel that there was just one dimension to it.
00:45:17All right, judges.
00:45:18Thank you very much.
00:45:19Your scorecards are in front of you.
00:45:22Mm-hmm.
00:45:22How you doing?
00:45:22I feel good.
00:45:23I feel good about two of the three judges, you know?
00:45:26But she had two of the three judges as well.
00:45:29Alex didn't, you know, find for her dishes much, too.
00:45:32So, you know, it's just who used the randomizer better, who put game plays better, you know?
00:45:38And it's gonna be a close one.
00:45:40I still feel very proud of what I did and may the best chef win.
00:45:43Win or lose, I just can't even prove that I can still compete, you know?
00:45:46Let's just see what the judges think.
00:45:48All right, chef.
00:45:49Okay.
00:45:49Okay.
00:45:50Let's go see if I'm going to the second round.
00:45:53Let's bring our chefs back in.
00:45:55Chef Claudette!
00:45:56Chef Tamiya!
00:46:02There was a lot going on there.
00:46:04Yeah, huh?
00:46:05Let's get into this.
00:46:07One chef scored 85!
00:46:12The other chef scored a 87.
00:46:15Wow!
00:46:16A two-point difference.
00:46:21Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the first round between Chef Tobias Borzon and Chef Claudette Cepeda is...
00:46:37...Claudette Cepeda!
00:46:41...Claudette Cepeda!
00:46:44Good job.
00:46:45Good job.
00:46:45Good job.
00:46:46Good job.
00:46:47Good job.
00:46:51Good job.
00:46:52Good job.
00:46:54Good job.
00:46:54Good job.
00:46:54Chef, congratulations.
00:46:55Chef Tobias.
00:46:57There's no stopping the honcho.
00:46:58No.
00:46:59Not at all.
00:46:59There's no stopping the honcho at all, man.
00:47:01Good job.
00:47:02Good job.
00:47:04Good job.
00:47:10I thought I hit the state perfectly.
00:47:13I thought I used a randomizer to the T, but, you know, things happen, man.
00:47:16It wasn't my night.
00:47:17Chef.
00:47:18She just won your first round in Tournament of Champions!
00:47:23Claudette Cepeda!
00:47:25Let's take a look.
00:47:28Oh, now I gotta go up against Jet.
00:47:30Claudette Cepeda going up against Jet Tila.
00:47:34I'm excited.
00:47:35Let's go.
00:47:36Congratulations, Chef.
00:47:38That's gotta feel great.
00:47:38It does, it does.
00:47:39And now you're in round two, and you're going up against Jet Tila.
00:47:42That's terrifying.
00:47:44It's gonna be a good battle.
00:47:45Are you ready to meet our next two culinary masters?
00:47:52We have our first rematch of TOC 7.
00:47:55Now, these chefs faced off a TOC 6, and an upset victory flipped their rankings this year.
00:48:01We have the number five seed, Chef Karen Akunowicz, who has twice been a TOC quarterfinalist,
00:48:07but was knocked out last year in the first round by Chef Sawyer.
00:48:13I was really heartbroken last year.
00:48:15I thought about it all year.
00:48:17I was still thinking about it on the plane on the way here.
00:48:20Really happy to be here and to have the opportunity.
00:48:23And number four seed, Chef Jonathan Sawyer, who secured his first TOC victory last year,
00:48:28has been racking up impressive culinary victories ever since.
00:48:32Four seed is the highest ranking I've ever had, being my fourth year.
00:48:36I've also won Wild Card Kitchen, became the champion of 24 and 24.
00:48:41I'm on a hot streak right now.
00:48:43We're both James Beard Award winners, you know,
00:48:45which is a recognition that, like, not a lot of people in this competition hold, right?
00:48:49There's three of us.
00:48:50Except for maybe the icons, but I don't know, because I don't know who they are.
00:48:53It's gonna be a tough one.
00:48:55Jonathan, I love you.
00:48:56Sorry I have to beat you and send you home.
00:48:58My brother.
00:48:59Okay, they're ready for you.
00:49:01All right.
00:49:02All right, Chef, you ready to battle?
00:49:03Carpe diem.
00:49:07Are you ready for a Rip Roar at TOC rematch?
00:49:12Yeah!
00:49:13So let's light it up!
00:49:17Inspired by her years spent as a chef and a pastry maker in Italy, she opened three renowned Italian restaurants
00:49:24in her beloved Boston.
00:49:28Her restaurant, Fox & Knife, made food and wine, eaters, and USA Today's Best New Restaurants list.
00:49:342018, she received the Jane Beard Award for Best Chef Northeast.
00:49:43Put your hands together for the Fox, Chef Karen Okunowicz!
00:49:55In her greatness.
00:49:58So interesting, how would we call this the rematch?
00:50:02Mm-hmm.
00:50:02Let's see what happens.
00:50:04Your opponent!
00:50:08After learning his mastery of meats from the culinary greats such as Michael Simon and his solo venture named Best
00:50:15New Restaurant by Bon Appetit and Esquire.
00:50:20In 2017, he received the James Beard Award for Best Chef Great Lakes.
00:50:30Teed out 23 other chefs to win the second season of 24 and 24.
00:50:38Put your hands together for the Bearded Ballers!
00:50:42Chef Jonathan Sawyer!
00:50:52Well, Chef, it's a moment right now that we get to see two James Beard Award-winning chefs.
00:51:01Two friends.
00:51:03Two friends.
00:51:03And once again, be opponents.
00:51:05Do I bring it to you at TOC or what?
00:51:08Chef!
00:51:09Let's take it to the randomizer.
00:51:11Right this way.
00:51:14That's what I'm talking about.
00:51:16The randomizer loves no one.
00:51:18Let's get into it, folks.
00:51:19Here we go.
00:51:20Protein!
00:51:29Salmon.
00:51:30Chicken.
00:51:30Chops.
00:51:32Chops.
00:51:32Lamb shoulder chops.
00:51:34And Bigger Link Potatoes.
00:51:36Rice are breaded.
00:51:37Wow.
00:51:39Huh.
00:51:40But the low seed is going to spin.
00:51:44Huh.
00:51:46Karen, you must pick one of the four.
00:51:49I would think one of the four.
00:51:50What do you think about spinning the edges?
00:51:51The edges.
00:51:52We'll go style.
00:51:53Style?
00:51:54Yeah.
00:51:54Okay, here we go.
00:51:55Re-spinning style.
00:51:57I mean, I don't know.
00:51:58I don't know.
00:51:59I don't know.
00:52:01Sauté, breaded, creamy, sauteed.
00:52:08Happier than you're breaded?
00:52:10Yeah.
00:52:12Lamb shoulders.
00:52:13Finger-linked potatoes.
00:52:15Ricers.
00:52:16Sautéed.
00:52:1630 minutes.
00:52:17And revenge is best served.
00:52:22Go cook.
00:52:26The lamb shoulder chop.
00:52:27Tons of flavor.
00:52:28Finger-linked potatoes.
00:52:29Why do they call them that?
00:52:30Because they look like fingers.
00:52:31And what goes great with that?
00:52:32Ricer.
00:52:33The only thing is you can't rice a finger-linked potato.
00:52:35Do a ricer and let's take the skin off.
00:52:37Sautéed.
00:52:38We all know this one.
00:52:39It's cooked fast and hot and a little bit of fat.
00:52:41Could be a way to do the chop.
00:52:42Not sure.
00:52:43And the low-seed re-spin.
00:52:45I think that was a good move.
00:52:47Getting off of the breaded.
00:52:48For me, this dish is going to be all about technique
00:52:51and maximum flavor.
00:52:52Because I'm going against a killer.
00:52:54I'm going against one of the best.
00:52:56Karen Akunowicz.
00:52:57I think that there's nobody she would rather face
00:53:00to redeem herself in this entire bracket than me.
00:53:04Let's go.
00:53:08Hi, Justin. How are you?
00:53:10Perfect. And you?
00:53:10I'm great.
00:53:11After last year, I didn't know if I could come back.
00:53:16I was so heartbroken.
00:53:17I'm determined to take Jonathan down.
00:53:19It's going to be a tough competition.
00:53:21But in the end, I'm coming out the winner.
00:53:25Thanks, guys.
00:53:27This round feels like deja vu.
00:53:28Feels like I've been here before with this guy against that chef.
00:53:33You want to talk direction and general?
00:53:35Yeah, I'm going to make a sautéed lamb shoulder blade steak,
00:53:38glazed and gochijang shoyu and black garlic.
00:53:41Hey, that's the start of our plan.
00:53:42All right, I love it.
00:53:43The goal of this marinade is sort of threefold.
00:53:45We're going to intensify the lamb flavor.
00:53:48We're going to tenderize it.
00:53:49And we're going to also add complexity through that umami.
00:53:52With the lamb shoulder, you've got to break down the tendons and the sinew,
00:53:56pounding it paper thin with a meat mallet.
00:53:58All right, meat is tenderizing.
00:54:01I'm going to saute some bones to fortify that broth.
00:54:04You like that?
00:54:04I'm going up against a James Beard award-winning chef, the fox.
00:54:08They don't call her the fox because she's not an assassin inside of this arena.
00:54:12I have zero margin for error.
00:54:15I absolutely need to nail this dish.
00:54:19Chef, when you have a plan, let me know.
00:54:21I'm going to go Middle Eastern.
00:54:23I'm going to make some beautiful creamy mashed fingerling potatoes.
00:54:25I'm going to season my lamb with shawarma spice with coriander and cumin.
00:54:32I'm known for my modern Italian cuisine, but I've also studied Middle Eastern cuisine.
00:54:37So my depth and breadth of knowledge of food is vast.
00:54:41I start sauteing the aromatics that are going to start my lamb pomegranate jus.
00:54:47I'm going to saute the lamb.
00:54:50Yep.
00:54:50And I'm going to add some stock to it.
00:54:53This is so important and so personal for me this year.
00:54:55My mom had a stroke this year, and it made me realize how precious every single moment is.
00:55:02And if we're not taking every opportunity and every moment and running with it,
00:55:08I'm not living the kind of life I want to live.
00:55:10It would mean everything for me to win today.
00:55:1620-minute chefs, 20 to go.
00:55:18Got to be played at 20.
00:55:20My dish tonight is inspired by a Middle Eastern steakhouse.
00:55:28And another saute.
00:55:30Sauteing this to a shark.
00:55:31I add to it heavy cream and butter as well as feta cheese.
00:55:36An important component to this dish.
00:55:42We're going to make a potato puree, something smooth and creamy to go underneath.
00:55:47To maximize my potato points on the randomizer, I'm going to slice some purple potatoes to get the least oily
00:55:53chip.
00:55:54They have to be paper thin.
00:55:55This is the most important culinary competition that I'll do ever.
00:56:00I am 41 months sober, and I'm more clear-headed than ever.
00:56:03To tell my kids that I am the guy that they know, I am the man and the chef and
00:56:08the father that they can be proud of.
00:56:09And fellow sober people and sober curious people out there competing on this level, winning on this level.
00:56:14Shows them this is a path to victory.
00:56:17But now, I got to win this first one before anything else happens.
00:56:2010 minutes, 10 left in the competition.
00:56:23Next step for the potatoes is to put them through the ricer and add them to butter and cream and
00:56:28whisk them together.
00:56:29Creamy, fluffy, and look at that. Gorgeous.
00:56:32I know I need to use the ricer another way.
00:56:36I'm going to pass my beautiful heirloom tomato through the ricer.
00:56:39What?
00:56:39To start the base for my relish.
00:56:41Adding pomegranate molasses and sherry vinegar and tasting it, and it's delicious.
00:56:48Starting the rice.
00:56:51There we go.
00:56:53Got to get meat in.
00:56:54This dish is all about technique and maximum flavor, and give me maximum points.
00:57:00Four minutes!
00:57:03I'm going to keep this dish really tight.
00:57:05I'm really hoping the judges are going to be wowed by my use of the randomizer.
00:57:08I sauteed everything, unless it was riced.
00:57:12You come into this competition, and people watching, maybe they think it's a game, but to all of us that
00:57:17are here, it is your reputation.
00:57:20It's your honor.
00:57:21That's what we all come here and put on the line.
00:57:24It would mean everything for me to win today.
00:57:27Two minutes!
00:57:27Just like that, the lamb is cooked.
00:57:30Even though plating is only ten points, these judges eat with their eyes first.
00:57:34You have to nail plating.
00:57:35One minute!
00:57:37It's bittersweet.
00:57:38At the end of the day, one of the two greatest people that are here has to go home, and
00:57:42I got to win.
00:57:42Five!
00:57:43Four!
00:57:44Three!
00:57:45Two!
00:57:46One!
00:57:47That's it!
00:57:50Beautiful plate.
00:57:53Chef Garen!
00:57:54Chef Jonathan!
00:57:55Well done!
00:57:56It was a great battle.
00:57:59So great.
00:58:00Is that ten minutes, or was that...
00:58:03What?
00:58:07Ladies and gentlemen, let's invite back our super judges, Alex Guarnaschelli.
00:58:12Alex Guarnaschelli is one of my favorite chefs in the world.
00:58:15And Tony Lofaso.
00:58:17Oh, jeez.
00:58:18Of course.
00:58:18Reigning champs here.
00:58:19And Dominic Crenn.
00:58:21Dominic Crenn.
00:58:22Michelin master.
00:58:24The randomizer served up lamb shoulder chops, fingerling potatoes.
00:58:29The equipment was the ricer.
00:58:31The style was sautéed.
00:58:33Here to present the first dish, the one and only TOC champ herself, Tiffany Faison.
00:58:37I did everything I can.
00:58:39In front of you, you have marinated and sautéed lamb shoulder chops.
00:58:43With a fingerling fiore and fingerling chips.
00:58:45With lamb fat sautéed shallots and sautéed lamb bonjour.
00:58:49The white fingerlings were peeled and cooked, then sent through the ricer.
00:58:53Very nice. Thank you, Chef.
00:58:55I mean, it sounds great.
00:58:56I have no doubt that Jonathan made it an awesome dish.
00:58:58I feel transported to another place.
00:59:01I really do.
00:59:02That's good, right?
00:59:03She loves it.
00:59:04I like how the lamb shoulder was treated.
00:59:06I think that's a very hard piece of meat.
00:59:10This is technique all day long.
00:59:13Obviously, fingerling potatoes, ricer, of course, we're gonna go mashed.
00:59:17But the fact that they took the sort of beautiful red ones and slivered them and got them so crisp,
00:59:23and there's no, like, remnants of oil.
00:59:26It's delicious.
00:59:27The only thing, my lamb kind of not cooked all the way, so the fat was not melted.
00:59:34Judges, thank you very much.
00:59:35Scorecards are in front of you.
00:59:3750 points in taste, 40 points in the use of the randomizer, and 10 points in the presentation.
00:59:43That feels like a good score.
00:59:45We'll see.
00:59:47Judges, the chef welcomes you to a Middle Eastern steakhouse.
00:59:50The chop was pounded and seasoned with shawarma spice.
00:59:53It was then sauteed in a pan.
00:59:54It then became the basis for a sauteed jus.
00:59:58For the fingerling potatoes, they were riced and then combined with heavy cream and butter.
01:00:02For use of the ricer, we had some tomato go through there as well, providing some textural juxtaposition
01:00:07with the pomegranate and the salad that you'll see crowning the dish.
01:00:10In terms of other sauteed elements, you have some chard combined with feta cheese, chopped and placed on the side
01:00:16of the plate.
01:00:18Love the riced tomato.
01:00:20And I think the riced tomato with the pomegranate and the mint offers all the dimension here.
01:00:28I think these are two chefs toe-to-toe, neck-and-neck.
01:00:32This is going to be by half a point.
01:00:33Oh, Alex!
01:00:36I love that the lamb is still on the bone.
01:00:39It makes me think of a lamb chop.
01:00:40That, I think, mixed with the mint and the pomegranate and the feta with the lamb,
01:00:44it's just, like, textbook good.
01:00:46I'm obsessed with this dish.
01:00:49She's obsessed with it!
01:00:50I love the pomegranate, but it's a little bit unbalanced, I think.
01:00:54The meat, it's just kind of overpowering everything.
01:00:58Thank you very much.
01:00:59So Antonia said she's obsessed.
01:01:01I know, but Dominique didn't love it.
01:01:04It's gonna be this close.
01:01:06I want this so badly.
01:01:09All right, chef, the scores are in.
01:01:11That was quick.
01:01:13Let's do it.
01:01:14Let's welcome back the chefs!
01:01:16Chef Jonathan!
01:01:17Chef Karen!
01:01:22Very high scores.
01:01:24One chef scored a 86.
01:01:31The other chef, 89.
01:01:35Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the first round rematch between Chef Jonathan Sawyer and Chef Karen Akunowicz is...
01:01:50The winner is...
01:01:53The winner is...
01:01:57The winner is...
01:02:15Yeah, I feel terrible.
01:02:17Maybe it's the best I've ever cooked.
01:02:19I love it for Jonathan.
01:02:20I hope he goes all the way.
01:02:21I do.
01:02:21Truly, truly.
01:02:23Congratulations!
01:02:24First round win, Jonathan Sawyer!
01:02:27Let's take a look.
01:02:29Getting ready to compete against either Artie Sequeira, going up against the legend who will be showing up shortly tonight.
01:02:37Shut up.
01:02:39Give it up!
01:02:40The bearded bowler, Jonathan Sawyer!
01:02:46Wow!
01:02:48Yes!
01:02:49I don't think I've ever gotten a 9 out of 10 on plating anywhere, ever.
01:02:54Call my wife, ask her.
01:02:56She'll back you up on this.
01:02:57She thinks I played everything left-handed on purpose.
01:03:00I'm right-handed, by the way.
01:03:01And now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment we have all been waiting for.
01:03:06We have a qualifier winner going up against our very first mystery culinary icon.
01:03:13Number 8 seed, Chef Artie Sequeira, is a Food Network star who stepped into the TOC arena for the first
01:03:19time
01:03:20and defeated an experienced competitor, Chef Brittany Anderson, to earn her spot in the bracket.
01:03:26Any concerns about not knowing who you're gonna face?
01:03:29I have every concern about being in the main bracket!
01:03:33I'm the first one to go up against these icons, right?
01:03:36So I do feel the rest of the bracket watching.
01:03:39Her opponent is the first of our top-seeded culinary icons
01:03:43and one of the most accomplished chefs to ever step into the TOC arena.
01:03:48Artie, they're ready for you.
01:03:50Oh my gosh!
01:03:51Okay!
01:03:52We're gonna do this!
01:03:53Let's go!
01:03:54Are you ready to see Chef Artie battle our mystery icon?
01:03:59Good luck!
01:04:00Let's light it up!
01:04:03Now she started as a news producer for CNN, but after attending culinary school, she launched her own online cooking
01:04:11show.
01:04:112010, she outperformed 11 other hopefuls to win season six of the Food Network star and turned her Artie's parties
01:04:20into a network cooking show.
01:04:21Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the Spice Queen, the one and only, Chef Artie Saquera!
01:04:35What is this?
01:04:38Hi!
01:04:39You're making history tonight, Artie, because you are the first to go up against our mystery culinary icon.
01:04:46Um, I got, like, butterflies.
01:04:48You've been waiting forever for this moment.
01:04:50Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for the first mystery icon competitor?
01:04:59Now our mystery icon has both competed and judged some of the most high-profile culinary competitions in the world.
01:05:09While pursuing his Yale engineering degree, he took some classes in Le Cordon Bleu.
01:05:151998, he opened an iconic restaurant and was named Chef of the Year by Esquire and became the first Emmy
01:05:22-winning host on Food Network.
01:05:26He beat Bobby Play on Iron Chef America and became one of the newest Iron Chefs in 2022.
01:05:32He earned a James Beard Award for Best Chef Northeast and was inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame in
01:05:392023.
01:05:41And has showcased his pioneering East meets West cuisine for almost two decades on his acclaimed PBS series, Simply Ming.
01:05:52Oh, my God!
01:05:53Keep it up for the world food icon, Chef Ming Tsai!
01:05:57Oh, my God!
01:06:04Shut up!
01:06:06They got him to do this!
01:06:14Chef Ming, you're one of the first superstar icons that I ever met when I came into Food Network.
01:06:20So, Chef, thank you very much.
01:06:22Thank you very much.
01:06:23Love and respect.
01:06:25It's a freaking honor to go up against you and thank you for thinking me worthy of something like this.
01:06:31Oh, we know you're worthy.
01:06:32And now, let's take it to the randomizer.
01:06:34Let's go, Chef!
01:06:41Without further ado, this is the finale of the night.
01:06:43Let's go!
01:06:44Protein!
01:06:51Salmon.
01:06:52Hi.
01:06:53Romas?
01:06:54Fox Grater?
01:06:55Nutty.
01:06:57And protein or produce re-spin.
01:07:00But the two of you need to agree on which one it's going to be.
01:07:05I say produce.
01:07:07I say produce.
01:07:09Here we go.
01:07:10Going for produce.
01:07:14Is it going to be tomatoes again?
01:07:16Probably.
01:07:17Ah!
01:07:19Come on, you guys!
01:07:21Salmon.
01:07:22Roma tomatoes.
01:07:24Fox Grater.
01:07:25Nutty.
01:07:2630 minutes.
01:07:28Chefs, go.
01:07:29Okay.
01:07:31Here we go.
01:07:32Let's go.
01:07:34Salmon, I think people love it or hate it.
01:07:36Roma tomatoes.
01:07:37A little plum tomato.
01:07:39This is culinary like for tomato sauce and so forth.
01:07:41Box Grater has so many versatile sides to it.
01:07:43See how they use it.
01:07:44And then Nutty.
01:07:45Are they crusting the salmon in it?
01:07:46They got to taste it and they got to see it.
01:07:49Ming Tsai knows so much about food that I don't even know that I don't know.
01:07:56I mean, why don't you just ask Julia Child to come back from the dead and be there too?
01:08:01Like, this is so ridiculous.
01:08:05Thank you!
01:08:07I cannot believe I'm gonna battle this guy.
01:08:10Like, that makes no sense.
01:08:12I don't see the parm.
01:08:14Icon means absolutely nothing.
01:08:17Only thing that matters is what's on the plate.
01:08:19And for every year I judged, I think, my God, I should get back and cook.
01:08:23And I came here with a mission.
01:08:25Win this thing.
01:08:25So, I think I'm gonna do butter chicken, but with salmon.
01:08:29The combination of box grater and tomatoes is making me think, like, butter chicken sauce.
01:08:34Salmon has a ton of fat.
01:08:36It's a sassy little fish.
01:08:37And so, I think that it'll go great with the tenderly seasoning.
01:08:40Into a very hot skillet, skin side down, and just let it cook.
01:08:44I just wanna let you know, I need a lot of validation.
01:08:49Thank you guys, you're amazing.
01:08:51Chef Ming Tsai is an icon.
01:08:52People grew up watching him.
01:08:55He inspired legions of chefs to enter this arena.
01:08:59Chef, when you have a plan, fill me in.
01:09:01Oh, we're gonna cook some salmon.
01:09:03And we're gonna make a nice nutty pesto.
01:09:07So, I'm gonna make salmon and crispy skin it.
01:09:10Make a tri-nut pesto.
01:09:11Make a tomato fondue.
01:09:13That's the plan.
01:09:15A little crispy skin there, Justin.
01:09:17Yes, Chef.
01:09:17Speaking my language.
01:09:18I love salmon.
01:09:20It's fatty.
01:09:21Easy to break down.
01:09:22You can get perfect squares.
01:09:23I'm nuking the skin in the microwave,
01:09:26because usually people fry it, but when you fry it,
01:09:28it doesn't get that crispy.
01:09:29Salmon has been butchered, portioned.
01:09:32The skin has been reserved, uh, pressed between paper towels,
01:09:35and is cooking away in the microwave to subtly render the fat.
01:09:38Maybe Iron Chef behavior.
01:09:40You guys doing all right out there?
01:09:42Yeah, audience?
01:09:44Anyone hungry?
01:09:45I was still looking forward to competing for the two days off
01:09:48with my chef de cuisine and sous chef.
01:09:50Okay, practice.
01:09:50At my restaurant, they gave me three randomizers,
01:09:54and we timed it.
01:09:55I am ready.
01:09:57This is really crazy.
01:09:58The fact that he's here doing this competing round one.
01:10:02Artie's got her work cut out for her.
01:10:03Could you imagine if she wins?
01:10:06Or can you imagine if she doesn't, and he moves on,
01:10:09and everybody in the bracket has to start facing him?
01:10:13Yikes.
01:10:17Chef Artie, Chef Ming, 20 minutes left in the competition.
01:10:2120 to go.
01:10:23This is unlike anything we've ever done before,
01:10:26to bring in these culinary icons.
01:10:27People that we have all been, like, in awe of,
01:10:30growing up as young chefs.
01:10:31But if ever there was an eight seat that could take out a one,
01:10:34my money's on Artie.
01:10:36Talk me through the sauce, Chef.
01:10:37So, butter, oil.
01:10:39Like, regular butter, brown butter?
01:10:41How does that typically go?
01:10:42I'm gonna brown it.
01:10:43In order to make this nutty,
01:10:45butter chicken always has butter sauce in it, right?
01:10:47Brown butter is nutty,
01:10:48so I'm gonna let this butter brown a little bit,
01:10:52so it just has this underbelly of nuttiness
01:10:55that I'm hoping the judges will be able to taste.
01:10:57I'm gonna grate the tomatoes for that,
01:10:59and the ginger and the garlic.
01:11:01Then I go about box grating my aromatics,
01:11:04my garlic, my ginger.
01:11:05Then I add some Kashmiri chili, some garam masala,
01:11:09and a little bit of ground cumin,
01:11:10and just let them cook.
01:11:12So, next, I'm box grating the tomatoes.
01:11:15And actually, this is great.
01:11:18It gets rid of all the skin.
01:11:20It gives you just that delicious, juicy pulp.
01:11:24Ming is a mainstay on the judging side of things here at TOC,
01:11:28so he really understands the game.
01:11:30I mean, he knows what the judges are looking for.
01:11:34And so, of course, he's gonna be an even fiercer competitor for it.
01:11:38But flavor-wise, I can't imagine anything
01:11:41that can bust these flavors out of the water.
01:11:43Like, this is so stinking good.
01:11:45Feeling good?
01:11:47Uh, yeah.
01:11:48Okay, good talk.
01:11:50And a box grating a bunch of grommas, obviously.
01:11:52I knew I was gonna make a tomato fondue,
01:11:54so I figured great garlic, great ginger,
01:11:56great onions, great tomatoes.
01:11:59Fondue means to melt in French,
01:12:01so you just literally melt the tomatoes.
01:12:02I wanted a second texture in it,
01:12:04so I added some fresh tomatoes afterwards.
01:12:05It's very humbling to be considered an icon.
01:12:07I am very proud of everything I've done as a chef in my career.
01:12:12It adds a ton of pressure, but I like pressure.
01:12:15Winning or losing, it is fun to cook under pressure.
01:12:18And I strive for it.
01:12:21Have you ever seen him cook live?
01:12:23No.
01:12:24Not all of it either.
01:12:25This is kind of like, it's like a little kid,
01:12:27like, I forgot we're in a competition.
01:12:28I was like, what's he gonna make next?
01:12:34Artie's making a version of buttered chicken with salmon,
01:12:37staying in the flavors that she does so brilliantly.
01:12:41When flavors like that are executed,
01:12:43to the level that we know that Artie can do it,
01:12:45they can be unbeatable.
01:12:47So I'm running through all the different versions of Nutty,
01:12:50along with brown butter sauce.
01:12:52I actually think I'm gonna make cashews and rice.
01:12:57So I take the rice and I warm it up in the microwave
01:13:00and meanwhile, I'm browning some more butter
01:13:03and I'm adding peas and cashews
01:13:06and a little bit of brown cumin.
01:13:08Then I add the rice and sort of toss it all together.
01:13:11And I'm really looking for that butter to sort of caramelize
01:13:15and toast the rice a little bit
01:13:17so that you get a toasted rice flavor that is somewhat nutty.
01:13:28Macadamia, almond, and walnut.
01:13:30So for my nutty, I grab three nuts to make a pesto
01:13:33because I'm thinking nutty and I love macadamia nuts, walnuts.
01:13:36Fine. I love all those nuts.
01:13:37Greater the Parmesan.
01:13:38You have the basil.
01:13:39You have your nuts.
01:13:40You have your olive oil.
01:13:42Pretty classic pesto.
01:13:46So Chef Ming-Sai has been a judge since season one,
01:13:49since the inception of Tournament of Champions.
01:13:52He knows darn well that that style category is important.
01:13:56But we're only seeing three nuts and a pesto?
01:13:58I know I just needed to have a second layer of nuts.
01:14:01Macadamia, almond, and walnut.
01:14:04So I'm gonna make toasted nuts.
01:14:06So you didn't get more nuts on the plate.
01:14:08All right, Chefs, this is the final five minutes.
01:14:10You have five to be plated.
01:14:13It's time to build my plate.
01:14:15So first goes down the muccane sauce,
01:14:18and then I lay a piece of salmon on top of that.
01:14:22I spoon some rice right next to it.
01:14:24I'm realizing that I may not have enough box-grated items here,
01:14:29so I grab some teeny tiny beautiful little radishes
01:14:32and slice those to go on top of the whole dish.
01:14:34Put up great food.
01:14:36That's what I've said from day one of coming here to TOC,
01:14:39is I want to put food up that I'm proud of
01:14:42and I felt like I cooked with my entire mind, body, and spirit.
01:14:46And that is what I did today.
01:14:48This is me.
01:14:49First, I just added a little bit of herbs on the plate,
01:14:53wilted it with the warm tomato fondue,
01:14:55putting the raw salmon on that side and the cooked salmon,
01:14:58I knew that would bring and finish the cooking of the salmon,
01:15:00which I loved.
01:15:01Grated the Parmesan, the salmon skin, and then pesto on top.
01:15:07Five, four, three, two, one.
01:15:12We're done.
01:15:17You at least have to hit the rando twice.
01:15:19And I had the nuts, but time's up.
01:15:23Didn't get them on the plate.
01:15:23They were there, and then they were gone, and no one's fault.
01:15:27Me.
01:15:28Well, I will tell you this.
01:15:29It was a world-class showdown.
01:15:31Job well done.
01:15:32Fantastic.
01:15:33Thank you very much.
01:15:34Chef Artie Secreira, Chef Ming Tsai, back for your trailers.
01:15:37Let's bring in the world-class judges.
01:15:40Wow.
01:15:43I'm sweating.
01:15:44That was hard.
01:15:46That was freaking hard.
01:15:48It was fun being in it again.
01:15:49The clock does not discriminate.
01:15:51The clock never stops.
01:15:53I feel good, though.
01:15:54It does feel very much like a David and Goliath sort of story,
01:15:59but we know who won in David and Goliath.
01:16:02So I'm just holding on to that.
01:16:04We'll see what happens.
01:16:05Either way, it was an honor.
01:16:07It really was.
01:16:08All right, ladies and gentlemen,
01:16:09for the final judging of the evening,
01:16:11let's welcome back our esteemed judges,
01:16:12Alex Guarnaschelli,
01:16:14Antonio Lofaso,
01:16:15and Dominique Crenn.
01:16:18Are you kidding me?
01:16:21Alex is an OG.
01:16:23Antonio, obviously.
01:16:24I cannot believe that freaking Dominique Crenn is over there.
01:16:28Judges, what a pleasure.
01:16:30Our final round tonight,
01:16:31the randomizer served up salmon,
01:16:34Roma tomatoes,
01:16:35the use of the box grater.
01:16:37Style is nutty.
01:16:38Up first to present the dish,
01:16:39the one and only wild card, Justin Warner.
01:16:42Judges, our chef calls this salmon midcouille
01:16:45with Roma fondue and a nutty pesto.
01:16:48The salmon portion,
01:16:50the skin was cooked in the microwave for 12 minutes.
01:16:53It then crowns the salmon filet
01:16:55that has been cooked on one side.
01:16:57For the Roma tomatoes,
01:16:58some were run through a box grater.
01:16:59This became the foundation of the sauce beneath the salmon.
01:17:02And then some of it was used as a brunoise
01:17:05in the finishing of the plate.
01:17:07In terms of nutty elements,
01:17:08a trio of nuts are the backbone on the pesto,
01:17:12which you will find on top of the salmon,
01:17:13beneath the skin.
01:17:17They're eating it,
01:17:17so that's always a good sign.
01:17:19Great cooking!
01:17:23Thanks, Alex.
01:17:24Wow!
01:17:25How great.
01:17:26The fish unto itself is dynamite.
01:17:29Really, this is a celebration of salmon.
01:17:32All of the elements to salmon
01:17:34and the way that it's cooked is done here.
01:17:36This technique is impeccable.
01:17:38We always want a fried, crunchy salmon skin.
01:17:42Like, to me, that can be a snack and a meal on its own,
01:17:45and I thought it was done to perfection.
01:17:47It adds a lot of great texture to the dish.
01:17:49That is so smart.
01:17:50I can't wait to try that.
01:17:51See, this is why he's made.
01:17:53Love it.
01:17:54I like the use of the grater, grating.
01:17:57We were talking about grating, you know, the tomato,
01:17:59which I think this is great.
01:18:00But the nuts get lost a little bit,
01:18:03and I think this chef needed to double down.
01:18:06Yep.
01:18:06They needed pumpkin seeds, brown butter, a nut oil.
01:18:11Damn.
01:18:11But this is some dynamite cooking.
01:18:13Thank you very much.
01:18:15Scorecards are in front of you.
01:18:17As always, 50 points available in taste,
01:18:2140 points in the use of the randomizer,
01:18:22and 10 points in plating.
01:18:25Decent.
01:18:26Decent.
01:18:27Why did you do that?
01:18:28Again, the nuts were...
01:18:30I needed more nuts on the plate.
01:18:32I had them toasted, ready to go.
01:18:34Ugh.
01:18:36I'm thinking it's Ming's to lose.
01:18:39Like, he just cooked.
01:18:40He just cooked like someone like Ming would.
01:18:44This is why he's number one,
01:18:46and this is why he is a legend.
01:18:50Here to present the second dish, Chef Tiffany Faison.
01:18:53In front of you, we have tandoori-style salmon
01:18:55with the brown butter makhani sauce
01:18:57and brown butter crisped cashew pilau.
01:19:01The salmon was fabricated and treated to tandoori spices
01:19:03of Kashmiri chili, garam masala,
01:19:06and a hefty squeeze of lime.
01:19:07It was then cooked tandoori-style in a hot pan.
01:19:10The brown butter makhani sauce
01:19:12saw brown butter in a pan
01:19:13with box-grated aromatics of ginger and garlic,
01:19:16not to be outdone by the box-grated Roma tomatoes
01:19:20that then deglazed all of those spices.
01:19:22Just let it be positive, my love.
01:19:29I want this dish over and over again.
01:19:31I want to eat it.
01:19:32Like, I just, I really like this dish.
01:19:34Somehow, like, it's just grabbed to my palate.
01:19:37I think I like the way that they use the nuttiness,
01:19:41not just the nuts, but also the brown butter.
01:19:43There's a lot of technique.
01:19:44This is, like, a master class in sauce.
01:19:48Oh.
01:19:49Uh-oh.
01:19:50Not good.
01:19:51This sauce, I think, traditionally would be, like,
01:19:53thrown into a blender and been pureed,
01:19:55but because there's so many of those chunks,
01:19:58I'm like, I believe box grater all day.
01:20:01For me, this salmon is better seasoned,
01:20:03but I liked the skin and a little bit the cook
01:20:06on the first one.
01:20:07So that's, like, a big area
01:20:09where I personally am gonna kind of split hairs.
01:20:13To me, the misstep was radish on top
01:20:16to sort of make it look pretty.
01:20:17I don't need it.
01:20:18Stick with your mint.
01:20:19Both these dishes are neck and neck for me.
01:20:21If there were only one judge, this would be a tie.
01:20:26Oh, that's a shame.
01:20:27Thank you very much, judges.
01:20:29All right.
01:20:30Scorecard in front of you.
01:20:34I need more nuts.
01:20:36Brown butter was a good idea.
01:20:38I cooked really at the top of my ability
01:20:44and to cook from a place of, like, confidence and joy
01:20:47and not being intimidated, and I was not.
01:20:51It's in the judges' hands now.
01:20:52Now it's excruciatingly painful,
01:20:55because now you just wait.
01:20:58Oh, well.
01:20:59Ladies and gentlemen,
01:21:00it's time to bring our chefs back in.
01:21:02Let's bring Chef Artie Saqueira.
01:21:04Chef Bingsa.
01:21:10Chefs, job well done.
01:21:13A lot has gone on in the TOC arena
01:21:15just to get to this point.
01:21:17Both were delicious dishes,
01:21:18and the scores reflect.
01:21:21One chef scored a 43 out of 50 in taste.
01:21:27One chef scored a 32 out of 40 in the randomizer.
01:21:40The other chef scored a 34 out of 40 in the randomizer.
01:21:46One chef scored a 9 out of 10 in presentation.
01:21:51The other chef scored an 8 out of 10 in presentation
01:21:55for a difference of 84 to 85.
01:21:58What in the world?
01:22:00A one-point difference.
01:22:02The winner of tonight's final battle
01:22:04between Chef Pinkside and Chef Artie Saqueira is...
01:22:16Artie Saqueira!
01:22:17ああ!
01:22:27Wow!
01:22:28Thank you so much.
01:22:30Thank you so much
01:22:47the bar in tournament of champions to another level I mean I just cannot say
01:22:51thank you enough thank you you've just changed her life you just gave everybody
01:22:56the experience of a lifetime ladies and gentlemen the legend himself
01:23:12I mean they're not wrong I had the nuts there so I just garnished it with the nuts I think
01:23:19that would have given me that one point my fault no one to blame R.D. cooked really well
01:23:25so good luck Artie you're just gonna stare at me you just got a chance to go up against a
01:23:33legend
01:23:33a master you held your own and chef Artie Sequeira you're moving on in the TOC 7 tournament
01:23:42congratulations we'll see you soon chef thank you thank you you're the best thank you
01:24:00how are you feeling
01:24:03I can't believe
01:24:05join us next time when eight more contenders including a mystery culinary icon face off
01:24:11in their first round of the tournament in hopes of becoming the $150,000 champ of tournament
01:24:17of champion 7
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